First, a central place in the home for the Kwanzaa Set, the symbols of Kwanzaa is chosen. A table is then spread with a beautiful piece of African cloth. Then, the mkeka (mat) is placed down and all of the other symbols are placed on it or immediately next to it to symbolize our rootedness in our tradition. Next the Kinara (candle holder) is placed on the mat and the Mishumaa Saba (seven candles) are placed in the kinara (candle holder). The colors of Kwanzaa are black, red and green; black for the people, red for their struggle, and green for the future and hope that comes from their struggle. Therefore there is one black candle, three red and three green candles. These are the mishumaa saba (the seven candles) and they represent the seven principles. The black candle represents the first principle Umoja (unity) and is placed in the center of the kinara. The red candles represent the principles of Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujamaa (cooperative economics) and Kuumba (creativity) and are placed to the left of the black candle. The green candles represent the principles of Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Nia (purpose) and Imani (faith) and are placed to the right of the black candle. The black candle is lit first on the first day of the celebration. And the remaining candles are lit afterwards from left to right on the following days. This procedure is to indicate that the people come first, then the struggle and then the hope that comes from the struggle. And then the mazao (crops), and ears of corn are also placed on the mkeka. At least two ears of corn are placed down on the mat regardless of whether there are children in the immediate family or not for the children of the community belong to all of us and every adult in African tradition is considered an immediate or social parent. Next the kikombe cha umoja (the Unity cup) is then placed on the mkeka (mat). It is used to pour tambiko (libation) to the ancestors in remembrance and honor of those who paved the path down which we walk and who taught us the good, the Tamshi and the beautiful in life. Then African art objects and books on the life and culture of African people are also placed on or next to the mat to symbolize our commitment to heritage and learning.Heri za Kwnzaa

A white man who pleaded guilty to six robberies in Ohio used a black mask so lifelike that police initially arrested a black man for one of the crimes.The mother of the wrongly accused man even thought a photo of the robbery suspect she saw on television was a photo of her son.Conrad Zdzierak, 30, pleaded guilty Monday in Hamilton County Ohio to one count of aggravated robbery and five counts of robbery in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Conrad Zdzierak targeted four banks and a chemist within the space of three hours wearing the mask An unnamed black man's mother saw a surveillance video picture like this one on television and believed the robber was her son The silicone mask, purchased from a California costume company, behaves like real flesh and muscle He faces up to 35 years in prison at his January 7 sentencing.In exchange, prosecutors dismissed 12 charges and decided not to seek indictments for other crimes, prosecutor spokeswoman Julie Wilson said.'Conrad apologises to everyone, is sorry for any harm he has caused and accepts responsibility for his actions,' his lawyer Christopher McDowell said.Zdzierak stole about $15,000 in the robberies of four banks, a credit union and a pharmacy that occurred in March and April - crimes in which witnesses reported that the robber was black and surveillance video appeared to show a black man.Zdzierak's masked resemblance to the black man who was initially arrested was so similar that some witnesses even identified a photo of the black man as the one who robbed them, McDowell said.The prosecutor's office would not release the name of the wrongly accused man. Zdzierak was arrested at a hotel after his girlfriend called police after seeing reports of the robberies and finding two masks and money stained by dye that is used to track robbers, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.McDowell said his client purchased the masks from SPFX masks, based in Van Nuys, California. The silicone masks 'look and behave like real flesh and muscle,' the company's website says.Owner Rusty Slusser said Tuesday his company's masks are normally bought for movies, Halloween, haunted houses and stage shows, but the Ohio case was not the first time they have been used for criminal purposes.'We do not condone any illegal activity with our masks,' Slusser said.

Men and women have a reciprocal relationship in Afrikan culture. As a student of spiritual culture, and as a man, I am very much aware of the roles the genders play in maintaining the whole. Men are that assertive, aggressive force that often leads the way without trepidation, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice--death. But the history of Afrikan people has shown that when men are exhausted, women have stood up and led the charge. This is not something that happens in normal times under normal conditions but happens under exceptional times and under exceptional conditions--liminal period, to use an anthropological term.And it is times like these that women have stood, and move from the center of Afrikan culture to the periphery, often replacing or leading men. Our history is replete with examples of these courageous women both at home and abroad. At home there was Queen Nzingha, Dona Beatriz, Queen Mother Yaa Asanteewa, and the women of Ogu Ndem (Ibo's Women War). Abroad there have been figures like Nanny of the Maroons and Harriet Tubman. I have only mentioned these women because they took up the mantle in areas usually reserved for men and excelled, often inspiring the men to dig deeper and come up with the resolve to battle on.

When I taught high school I use to give an essay asking students to evaluate the conditions that led to the fall of the Western Roman empire, and if any similar conditions were to be found in present-day America. Though the U.S. and the West in general like to evoke the ancient Greek when speaking of the origins of Western civilization. The Greeks supposedly gave the world, philosophy, theater, science, poetry, mathematics, history (writing of), medicine, jury trials, and democracy. Each of these contributions can be evaluated on their merit but that is not the scope of this blog. Though the Romans conquered the Greeks, it is often said that Greek culture conquered the Romans. In truth, the Romans had a far greater influence on the West. And what the West discovered about the Greeks it did so initially largely through Roman eyes. The Romans on the other hand gave the West, a bicameral legislature, Republicanism, language, Roman Catholicism, senators, constitution, and a legal code. It was the Romans that actually encountered and colonized the people of Europe. The Greek world was centered on the Mediterranean, while the Romans expanded northward into Europe proper. Moreover, the Greek had a very different mind set than the Romans. The Romans were more "secular," war-like, and even materialistic than the Greeks. The Romans took Greek achievements, exploited and adapted them to Roman mores. For example the Romans took Greek Theater, which consisted largely of religious matters based on Greek mythology, and turned it into a spectacles, which frequently included battle scenes staged in the coliseum, with water, ships, and real engagements providing the action. Comparing Greek theater to Roman is like comparing oranges to apples. Theater moved from being a vicarious mode of spiritual expression for citizens to a vehicle of secular debauchery and violence for mass entertainment.

Historians list a number of reasons Rome fell. I will offer 12 reasons divided into the following categories: Military, Political, Economic, and Social. ur categories. Militarily Rome fell because it 1) citizenry lost their warlike character 2) the military wanted to be masters of the state, rather than serve it 3) legion, which consisted of mostly mercenaries, who often had questionable allegiances, was constantly at war. The socially reasons Rome fell were: 1) the rise of Christianity softened the people 2) extreme class divisions destroyed the middle class-extremes of the very wealthy and the very poor remained 3) people became extremely materialistic. The economic reasons for the demise of Rome are as follows: 1) taxes were extremely high 2) inflation was extremely high 3) unemployment and slavery were both widespread. The political fall of Rome was due to: 1) corruption 2) weak leadership 3) widespread civil unrest, and political assassinations.

Are there any commonality between modern America and ancient Rome? Is America falling?